Bears Leaving Soldier Field???

Sounds like the Chicago Bears could be moving to Arlington Heights in the near future as a Purchase and Sales Agreement was reached with Arlington Heights. Another cool tidbit on the rumor mill I believe from Mike Florio from Pro football Focus is with a new Stadium in Arlington Heights there could be not 1 but 2 Pro Football teams in Chicago in the future.

I'm against another team...just a traditionalist I guess. I'm also against moving the stadium...we had season tickets for years when I lived up north...the setting by the lake is so unique and awesome. I will say though, I get why they want to move. Getting to and from the stadium is a pain in the ass and the stadium itself is well, not good. I guess I'm clinging to the tailgating experience...

lefty120 wrote:I'm against another team...just a traditionalist I guess.

A true traditionalist would remember that there were two football teams in the city until the Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis after being in Chicago for 40 years.

Honestly I have no problems with 2 teams in the City especially as long as the McShitskys are in charge of the Chicago Bears. Ive never been to Soldier Field so Im not missing out on anything nostalgic. A new state of the art Stadium, 2 Football teams and possibility to host Final Fours and other events in the future sign me up. Pretty much only thing to make this thing better would be ownership change by the Bears too.

ramblinman wrote:

lefty120 wrote:I'm against another team...just a traditionalist I guess.

A true traditionalist would remember that there were two football teams in the city until the Chicago Cardinals moved to St. Louis after being in Chicago for 40 years.  

Touche...I knew that. My old man was born and raised in Decatur...enter the Decatur Staley's...I guess I just meant from a standpoint of thinking about the fanbase being split would be hard to imagine.

I totally get the new stadium situation. It would be way more modernized than Soldier Field, and as BH said be able to host way more events which would be cool. Regardless of how you feel, it's gonna happen.

Bighitter11 wrote:Sounds like the Chicago Bears could be moving to Arlington Heights in the near future as a Purchase and Sales Agreement was reached with Arlington Heights.  Another cool tidbit on the rumor mill I believe from Mike Florio from Pro football Focus is with a new Stadium in Arlington Heights there could be not 1 but 2 Pro Football teams in Chicago in the future.

The Bears lease for Soldier Field expires in 2033. They can break that lease in 2026 if they pay a penalty of $84 million. A lot can happen in that time.

lefty120 wrote:I totally get the new stadium situation.  It would be way more modernized than Soldier Field, and as BH said be able to host way more events which would be cool.  Regardless of how you feel, it's gonna happen.  

It's gonna happen eventually. But I'm not sure it's going to happen with that property.

I don't think the 2026 is a big deal at all to the Bears. Even if they announced today that they were 100% moving to Arlington Heights, the designing, planning, building of whatever the site becomes, and the surrounding infrastructure, will take forever. It's not like they are hoping for fall of 2022 games in Arlington Heights.

As far as 2 teams, who knows, but there isn't a team in the NFL that would move to Chicago and use Soldier Field. Teams want to control all of the parking, etc., and they don't get that with Soldier Field.

For reference, the Raiders new stadium in Vegas was about 3 years from planning to completion, with a much smaller parcel of land.

tm wrote:For reference, the Raiders new stadium in Vegas was about 3 years from planning to completion, with a much smaller parcel of land.

You could always build the stadium quickly then build around it.

I don't really care what they do I just hope they figure out how to put a quality product on the field.

dusty7 wrote:

tm wrote:For reference, the Raiders new stadium in Vegas was about 3 years from planning to completion, with a much smaller parcel of land.

You could always build the stadium quickly then build around it.

I don't really care what they do I just hope they figure out how to put a quality product on the field.  

I do too. To reiterate a point made by Bighitter I don’t think it happens with the McCaskeys in charge.

I could not have said it better myself.

https://mobile.twitter.com/MarkCaro/status/1443190099131383808